Hi, Everyone! It's Friday, so here we go... oh, um, not sure why anyone thought this fic involved Luke in a major way. I didn't list him as a major character because he only makes a cameo appearance. Look, I love Luke, but this fic is about Han and Leia. Everyone else is more of a supporting role. I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Chapter 22: Luke's Where?

Sighing, Solo sat down in Leia's chair behind the desk, swung his feet up to rest on the edge, and crossed them at the ankles. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as if to say: 'Leave it to the Kid to have that kind of timing.'

Leia wasn't as amused. She shot Solo her best death-threat glare, promising herself to make him pay severely for mentioning the bonding. Resigning herself to Luke's inevitable questioning, she popped the door control, and revealed Skywalker standing in front of her with a still-boyish grin on his face.

"Hi, Leia," he chimed. His clear blue eyes lighting up as soon as he saw the Princess.

"Luke." She greeted him with a warm hug.

"Hi, Han." Luke nodded, his smile turning quizzical as his eyes swung back and forth between the Princess and the smuggler. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not yet, Kid." Solo winked, "But she was pretty eager to shut the door a minute ago. Who knows what she had in mind?"

Crossing her arms, Leia directed her full attention to Skywalker. "It's a good thing you came in when you did, Luke. I wouldn't kill anyone with a witness nearby."

"Well, in that case, I'll get out of your way." Luke chuckled. "I just stopped by to see if you'd be free for dinner tomorrow night, Leia. I have some work I need to get done tonight, but I was hoping to we'd find some time to catch up?"

Leia considered that maybe they had gotten away with Luke not hearing anything, after all. However, it stood to reason that he did overhear them. Maybe he just took it as one of Han's flirtatious remarks or maybe he was just waiting to ask about it her privately. Although she was well aware that Luke once harbored a crush on her, it had long since given way to a close friendship. Unfortunately, it was a close enough friendship to ask her what Han meant by 'lifemate.' Either way, she was off the hook for the moment and that would have to do.

Leia returned his affectionate smile, "I'd like that, Luke. It's a date."

Although, Luke and Leia weren't paying attention to see it, Han's expression noticeably dropped at the word 'date'.

"Good. I'll be looking forward to it. Why don't you and Chewie join us, Han? It'd be fun for all of us to get together."

Leia could tell Han purposely avoided her eyes.

"Nah, Chewie and I have to work on the navicomputer. It'll probably take all day," he played it off as he donned his expressionless sabacc face. "You and Her Highnessness will have to enjoy your date without chaperones."

Luke and Leia exchanged knowing glances. Spending time with Han for a couple of years now both recognized his way of concealing his actual emotions. When they first met him, they initially bought the expression as simple indifference. Now, they understood that it meant anything but. The most difficult part was figuring out what he did feel under that mask. Sometimes, they could to redirect a conversation based on one of Han's few predictable traits- his ego, for instance - but most of the time, he was like now… a blank durasteel wall.

You knew he felt something, but you never really knew where on the spectrum of emotion he had landed. It didn't occur to Leia that a confident, experienced man like Han would ever feel jealous of Luke.

For that matter, she was puzzled with his unyielding insistence of accompanying her to Ord Mantell. He must have some ulterior reason.

Luke smiled uncertainly, obviously unsure how to react to his friend's insinuation. "Alright, maybe when the navicomputer is fixed, we'll all get together to celebrate the return of the Falcon's good health then."

The Princess cocked an eyebrow and opened her mouth to declare what she thought about the Falcon ever being in a state of 'good health' when Han grunted. "Sure thing, Luke."

"I have to get going. I promised to meet Chewie. He's gonna help me out with a few new modifications on my X-Wing."

"See you at dinner tomorrow, Luke."

"Later, Kid."

The door swooshed shut once again; Leia whirled and attacked Han as if their original conversation had never been interrupted. "Solo, you promised you wouldn't say anything!"

"Relax. Nobody heard anything." Han argued, neatly sidestepping the facts.

"You don't know that. Luke heard." She persisted venomously as she gestured towards the door behind her.

"C'mon, don't you think he would've said something about it? I can't see him asking you out on a date if he thought we were bonded."

"It's not a date. It's dinner and he's going to ask what was going on when he came in." She contended, trying to make him focus. Now that Luke was gone, Leia realized she had bigger problems than worrying how Skywalker would feel if he found out about the bonding. She hated to admit it, but Solo had been right about Luke having difficulty not blurting confidential information out at times. It was innocent on his part, but that wouldn't erase any damage it might cause.

Standing up, he pointed to her and corrected her with accusation clearly lacing his tone, "You said date, Your Worship." Then directed his thumb to his chest, "I heard it and," he pointed toward the door, "he heard it,"

"Luke's the one who said we're catching up over dinner," she reminded him, suddenly feeling guilty for a reason she couldn't put her finger on. She questioned why she was defending her actions here. Back in the meeting room, she had fiercely told Han in no uncertain terms that she did not answer to him, yet here she was doing precisely that.

"I don't know, Sweetheart. First, it's dinner that's not a date and before you know it, you're bonding to someone," Han responded cryptically.

Did he really think she wouldn't get his vaguely insinuated parallel of their decision after dinner to bond at the Garden Palace? Oh, she got it alright. She nearly screamed before catching herself and settling for the best quiet viciousness she could drum up. "Just because I bonded with you once, I will see to it that it never happens again, phony or otherwise."

Han actually perked up at her words. "Otherwise? Meaning, you've considered a bona fide bonding between us?"

Completely flustered and angry, mostly at herself for slipping up like that, she punched open the door yet again, sputtering, "Get out, Solo, or so help me I will not responsible for what I do."

Smirking, Han stopped so close to where she was standing their bodies were almost touching.

"Care to make good on that, Sweetheart?" his voice rumbled, dripping with true temptation.

Their proximity caused an unrestrainable shiver to course through her body, but it didn't stop her shoving him away from her and out the door. The last thing she saw was his aggravating lop-sided grin looking back over his shoulder at her as the door closed in his face.

Sitting down, Leia smacked her fist down on her desk. Her feelings were in absolute turmoil.